One Alone, One Broken
by The Misfits
Summary: Jaden was an only child until his family adopted Syrus, a boy who jumps foster homes. But the family isn't as picture-perfect as it seems. Inner demons are hard at work. AU. R&R.


**Dun own nothin'.**

* * *

"For real, you two ain't fooling?" ten year old Jaden asked his parents.

"No, we ain't fooling, boy," Nicky Yuki said with his arm around his wife Sarah.

"We're picking him up tomorrow," Sarah said.

Jaden was beside himself with joy. He couldn't believe his parents were going to adopt tomorrow. He couldn't believe he's finally get a brother, something he'd always asked for.

* * *

_Another home, another family, another place for me to get kicked out of. _Syrus sighed as he packed his bag.

"Sweetie, are you ready to meet your new family?" as tall woman with gold-ish blonde hair asked. She went by Sandy.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Syrus replied, showing her his pack.

Sandy walked Syrus to the door. "They should be here by now," she said as she looked at her watch. _I hope this is the day they said they were coming,_ she thought.

Syrus stared at the road with a stony glare.

"Why are you going? You know houses will turn you out," a familiar voice said.

Syrus put his hands over his ears. "Go back to sleep, Mark," he mumbled.

Syrus hated Mark. He always showed up at the worst possible moment. Mark had entered Syrus's life when he first entered foster care. Well, to be accurate, he actually showed up after Zane and Syrus were separated. Well, anyway, Syrus hated Mark because he made him do things. Bad things. At first it was just simple things, like taking a second cookie when Syrus was told not to. But then it got worse, like hitting and stealing dolls from the other foster kids. And the worst thing he ever made Syrus do was set a shed on fire. Mark was the real reason Syrus didn't have a permanent home. Syrus would be taken in by a nice family who liked him, but then Mark would take over and Syrus would start misbehaving and then the family would send him away. As Syrus got older, he learned how to keep Mark at bay. When Mark told him to do something, he just shoved him into the back of his mind. Yep, Sy had Mark very much under control.

That is, until he went to sleep.

Mark sometimes came out then. That's why Sy never slept much.

"Sweetie, look!" Syrus came out of his trance to see Sandy jumping up and down, making her gray glasses bounce, pointing at a green Dodge. The car pulled up and a short woman with blonde hair and chocolate eyes stepped out. "Miss Yuki!" Sandy shouted as she ran to the woman.

Syrus just stood there, a look of confuzzledness on his face, but he was really cursing Mark in his mind. He'd learned not to talk to Mark around people a _long _time ago. When Syrus looked up, he saw Sandy pointing at him and the blonde woman skip-running up to him with her arms out. Before he knew it, Syrus was embraced in a big bear hug.

"Oh, he's even cuter than I imagined!" the woman, who's name Syrus now knew was Sarah, judging by her nametag, squealed. "Nicky, come look!"

A very tall man with almond hair and icy blue eyes stepped out of the Dodge. He had a very serious look about him. Syrus didn't know if he shold buddy up to this man or stay clear of him.

"I guess he _is _pretty cute," Nicky said.

"So when can we take him home?" asked Sarah.

"Uh..Oh...Um...Next week...tomorrow...next month...or you could take him home right now!"

Sarah squealed like a dolphin in joy. Nicky started the car, Sarah hugged Sandy goodbye and pushed Syrus into the back seat. Before he knew it, they were on the road and Sandy was waving goodbye to them. And Syrus was amazed that dolphin woman could do it all under a minute.

* * *

The car ride was quiet, mainly because Mark kept Syrus hushed. Other than that, it was a nice ride.

"So, it your hair naturally blue, or do you dye it?" Sarah asked, trying to break the ice.

"It's just like that," Syrus muttered.

"Umm...well, what food do you like?" Nicky asked, getting in on the conversation.

Syrus thought for a moment. Should he say his own favourite food, or Mark's? "Um...I like fried shrimp."

"Oh, really? 'Cause Jaden, our other son, I guess your new brother, is just bonkers for shrimp!" Sarah said excitedly. "Bonkers, well isn't that silly word? Bonkers. Bonker, bonkers, bonkers. Oh, it's fun to say!"

Everyone sweatdropped.

"What the _fuck_?" Mark screamed in the back of Syrus's head.

"I don't know what bonkers means, Mark. Just be quiet."

"Well, um, do you like sports?" Nicky asked, oblivious to the exchange.

"No, no, no! I hate everything to do with sports, everything to do with playing on a team, anything to do with outdoors, I hate it!" Syrus screamed.

Nicky and Sarah were stunned at their new child's sudden anger.

Syrus calmed down. "I'm so sorry," he sniffed.

Sarah turned around and put her hand on his knee. "It's okay, dear. You just don't like those things. Trust me, you're not the only one. Those things drive me bonkers, too!" She looked at Nicky. "He must have an issue with those things. You remember, he had a hard life."

"So anything can set that eight year old off?" Nicky asked coldly.

Sarah gulped. "I guess."

For the rest of the car ride, Syrus kept his head down, wondering if that outburst had ruined it.

Nicky figured no one was going to talk much after that, so he decided to turn on the oldies.

Sarah kept patting Syrus's knee and hushing him, even though he wasn't crying.

"If they don't like you, they're gonna send you back!" Mark screamed from the back of his mind. Syrus was just tuning him out.

For the next fifteen minutes, the car ride was hushed until a two-story brick house came into view.

"Hey, kid, you like the house?" Nicky asked. Syrus nodded. "Good, 'cause that's where you're going to live now."

Syrus looked at the house and put his head back down. _Big house. Lots of things to break. That means Mark's going to come out._ His stomach sank.

* * *

Sam: For those who don't pay attention, Jaden is ten and Syrus is eight. And where's Zane? I dunno. Only Jamie does. For all I know, he could be dead.

Jamie: Oh, he's not dead. ;)

Sam: Oh. Anyway, the awesome and Most Esteemed Lady Frostella of the Realm of Eternal Frost and other stuff was very kind to help me with the typos and stuff. Thanks, Frosty!


End file.
